Fruit

No Italian Easter is complete without a ricotta pie. This light, citrus-tinged pie, with its creamy ricotta filling and sweet crust, sings of spring. Although this savory pie is traditionally served as a meal, it can also satisfy a sweet tooth. There are many different varieties of Sweet Ricotta Pie (pizza dolce) out there, but we stick to a very basic pie that will please all palates. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding candied orange peels, grated lemon zest, miniature chocolate chips, or nuts to the filling.

Long before the Crunchy Ice Cream Pie was famous at Michele’s Pies, it was famous in my hometown of Westport, Connecticut. Whenever my mom would make this frozen treat, I was suddenly the most popular kid in the neighborhood! These are a hit at children’s birthday parties, a Fourth of July gathering, or any other warm-weather celebration. Best of all on those hot summer days, there’s no need to turn on the oven. Serve this pie with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) and a drizzle of Hot Fudge Sauce (page 191).

This pie is like one big, caramel-covered candy apple, sans the stick and a bit easier to eat. And if you are all about the crunch, add the chopped nuts to the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping to really drive home the candy apple experience. This is the perfect pie to celebrate fall birthdays and other harvesttime occasions.

Every time I bite into a piece of Banana Cream Pie (page 109), I immediately start thinking about banana splits. Shortly after coming up with the cream pie recipe, it occurred to me that with the addition of just a few more ingredients, I could re-create a classic banana split, which includes bananas, strawberries, and pineapple, ensconced in a cream filling. With a Marshmallow Fluff Whipped Cream topping, a sprinkle of walnuts, and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce, Ultimate Banana Split Pie is as close as you can get to the real thing. For best results, make this pie the day you intend on serving it so that the bananas do not turn and the juices don’t break down the cream.

This is a unique pie because it’s not baked, thus allowing the strawberries to hold their shape and maintain their delicious fresh taste. With its combination of fresh strawberries, cream filling, and a strawberry glacé on top, this pie is perfect for a picnic or potluck gathering. Please note that the glacé part of this recipe should be made at least 4 hours (and up to 4 days) before the rest of the pie so that it has time to set.

Although this is a cream pie, it can also be considered a fruit pie, with all the fruit that gets packed into it. Not only is the flavor combination of blackberries, lemon, and lime explosive, but its refreshing taste is perfect for warm summer nights. As an added bonus, the pie is so light you’ll have plenty to go around (or go back to!). For best results, prepare the Blackberry Glacé at least 6 hours and up to a day prior to assembling the pie in order to let it completely cool and set. Also, place the condensed milk and mixing bowl used to prepare the filling in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to use. The assembled pie will need to be refrigerated overnight before serving, so plan accordingly.

This pie is all about decadence, where the smooth and velvety filling melds beautifully with a flaky pastry crust. For optimal results, be sure to use ripe bananas as they’re more flavor packed and they maximize the creamy texture that’s the hallmark of a perfect Banana Cream Pie.

This pie has a lot to offer in one light and fluffy package—it’s not too tart and not too sweet, which makes it a great choice for pleasing all of your guests. It is the perfect ending to a heavy meal, when you want something to satisfy that sweet tooth, but don’t have a lot of room left for a big dessert.

This creamy, sweet, tangy pie is a southern staple. In the shop, we use only fresh key limes (they’re an essential part of this masterpiece), which are imported from Mexico and Central America and are available year-round. Squeezing them does take some extra effort and determination, but it’s worth all the trouble when you’re rewarded with that first bite of fresh Key Lime Pie.

Unlike a Coconut Custard Pie, which is baked and set, Coconut cream pie is a cool and luscious dessert, quite elegant in its simplicity. I’ve had customers tell me that its smooth taste reminds them of a piña colada. If you want a twist on Coconut Cream Pie, try using a traditional Meringue (page 39) in place of whipped cream to garnish.

Think of this pie as a coconut crème brûlée, ensconced in a flaky pastry crust. A slight hint of lemony citrus finishes it all off, adding just a tinge of unexpected zing to the rich and creamy coconut flavor.

One of my fondest memories is of making a dessert with my mom that the two of us referred to simply as “our delight.” Every time I saw the pieces of this creamy banana-coconut concoction being put together in the kitchen, I would begin counting down the hours until dessert. In the years that followed my mom’s passing, I made this pie only a handful of times because I could never match her recipe. Then one morning I woke up and realized I could put a twist on “our delight” by re-creating the banana-coconut cream and inserting the fi lling into a pecan-infused piecrust, created specifically for this pie. “Our delight” now became pure delight. Mom’s Banana-Coconut Delight Pie is best when refrigerated overnight and served cold the next day. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

This pie was originally called Lover’s Delight Pie, and for good reason. This is the sort of dessert that you want to share with the one you love. Serve it up on Valentine’s Day or at the end of any other romantic meal for two and indulge in the classic flavor combination of chocolate and raspberry.

The more subtle flavors of raisin and oatmeal allow the maple to shine through, and a tinge of coconut adds a final unexpected note to this cozy combination. This pie is so simple to make, and it’s a great dessert for a chilly fall night. I recommend serving this with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream or a dollop of Maple Whipped Cream (page 194).

At Michele’s Pies we have pies for peach fans, apple junkies, pineapple aficionados, and lemon lovers. But what about raisins? Just to be sure we had something for everyone, this pie combines raisins, sweet butterscotch, and crunchy oats and pecans to create an almost candylike dessert that will hit your sweet tooth just right. This pie is delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Caramel Sauce.

This pie is one of those treats you have to enjoy while the weather is warm because rhubarb is in season only from April to September. When selecting rhubarb, look for firm, glossy stalks. Be sure to cut off all of the leaves of a rhubarb stalk—they are toxic to humans. Wash the rhubarb stalk well and then peel the stringy skin to get to the core of this celerylike vegetable. Try this pie with the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping (page 12) for a nice contrast to rhubarb’s naturally tart taste.

Taste testing is one of the great perks of my job. Every summer when our first batch of Raspberry Crumb Pies comes out of the oven, I take one home with me so that my family and I can perform “quality assurance.” It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it! Raspberries are at their best in the midsummer months. For best results, seek out raspberries that are slightly soft and plump. Raspberries continue to ripen after they are picked and have a short shelf-life, so try to make this pie within a day or two of bringing home your raspberries. Raspberry pie is equally good made with a traditional pastry piecrust (as photographed here with a lattice topping) or a Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping, but, I have to say, I’m partial to the crumb topping—the sweetness is a lovely complement to the raspberries’ tartness. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193). This pie can also be made with the Traditional Pastry double crust (page 5).

When Kelly told me he was going to try making a pineapple pie, I thought he was crazy. I’ve heard of pineapple in a lot of things . . . but pie? Wanting no part in this, I told him to go for it, and walked away. A few days later, I found myself biting into Kelly’s first attempt. It wasn’t bad—granted, it wasn’t great either—but I began to think he was on to something. With my curiosity piqued, I decided to take a stab at it myself. Today, Pineapple Crumb Pie is one of the more popular pies we sell. For a more tropical variation of this pie, you can also try it with Macadamia-Coconut Crumb Topping (page 13).

Raspberries are one of those special fruits you can add to just about anything with great results. So, whenever I’m looking to spruce up more subtle tastes (like a pear filling), raspberries are my go-to fruit. Since pear and raspberry season overlap during the early fall months, Pear-Raspberry Pie is a nice alternative to the more traditional and expected harvesttime pies. You can also try this with Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping (page 12).

Although it’s not the most traditional holiday dessert, this pie pairs well with a Christmas roast. The cranberries add a festive note, while the walnut crumb adds an extra bit of crunchy texture. This pie looks just as delicious as it tastes.